HONG KONG: Top seed Belinda Bencic pulled out of the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals on Friday as the Tokyo Olympic champion became the latest in a long line of players to suffer a late-season injury.
The Asian “swing” on the WTA Tour has been particularly hard hit by injuries and pullouts in recent weeks, placing renewed scrutiny on the demanding tennis schedule.
Bencic, who was ranked 421 in the world at the start of the season but has climbed to 11, was supposed to meet Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the last eight in Hong Kong.
“So disappointed to have to withdraw today from my quarter-final match here in Hong Kong due to my thigh injury,” said the 28-year-old Swiss, who won gold at the Covid-delayed Olympics in 2021.
“I’ve played a lot of tennis in the past few weeks and did everything I could to stay healthy, but it was not to be.”
Bencic beat Linda Noskova last weekend to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and cap a remarkable comeback, a year after returning to tennis from having a baby.
Noskova reached the final in the Japanese capital after Elena Rybakina withdrew injured ahead of their semifinal.
The tournament in Hong Kong was hit even before it began with the withdrawals of former world number one Naomi Osaka and the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
Both ended their seasons early through injury.
Daria Kasatkina, who has won eight WTA titles, was also initially scheduled to compete in Hong Kong but she too brought the curtain down prematurely on her season.
“The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly I am not alone,” the 28-year-old, who this year switched nationality from Russia to Australia, said in early October.
Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts
https://arab.news/5kf9g
Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts
- The Asian “swing” on the WTA Tour has been particularly hard hit by injuries and pullouts in recent weeks
- Tokyo Olympic champion became the latest in a long line of players to suffer a late-season injury
FIFA and Board of Peace to support Gaza reconstruction through football
- The Board of Peace, established under the US President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms
FIFA and the Board of Peace signed a partnership agreement on Thursday to attract investment from global leaders and institutions for sustainable development in conflict-affected regions through football.
The Board of Peace, established under the US President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms.
The disarmament of Hamas militants and accompanying withdrawal of Israeli troops, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn population are expected to pose significant challenges to the board’s effectiveness in the coming months.
The FIFA collaboration plan includes building 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a new 20,000-seat national stadium, FIFA said.
Trump said FIFA will raise $75 million for football-related projects in Gaza.
“Today, FIFA and the Board of Peace have signed a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“Together with the support of the Board of Peace, FIFA will drive this partnership which is built to deliver impact at every stage.”
The program will also emphasize job creation, youth participation, organized leagues for boys and girls, community engagement and the stimulation of local commercial activities, FIFA said.
